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Published: Thu, 27 Apr 2017

Different culture all over the world is celebrating events at different times of the year. These ranges are from small family occasion honoring such things as birth, marriage and death to weeklong festival involving thousand of people.

On the other hand, other festival have developed and adapted to change while absorbing influence from the societies in which they are celebrating. Festivals of many types, serve to meet specific social needs and duties, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration offer a sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups.

Different countries have different festival to celebrate. Some are cultural, some religious, some national, historical and many more. And there are different ways to celebrate them by there origin some festivals even carried way from other culture to celebrate.

Country that I choose: Turkey and Belgium have different festivals too like other countries.

Turkish, they involved in different kind of festivals like others, such as Manisa Mesir Festival.

Religious festival like: Eidul Fiter, Eidul Azha, Day of Ashura and many more international film, cartoon and mausic festival.

Among those festivals I am going to discuss: ‘The day of Ashura’ (Turkey) and ‘Procession of the holy Blood (Belgium)’.

Here I am try to give a discussion on two festivals origin, how it’s celebrate, its significant on the prospect of both festivals and give a clear compare and contrast of the festivals by discussion.

Origin:

2.1 The ashura:

The word ashura literally means in Arabic language is ‘tenth’. Ashura or “the day of Ashura” is the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic calendar. The day remember as of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (a.s) bin Ali was the third Imam and the grandson of the Islamic holy prophet Mohammad (Pbuh) at the battle of kabala in Iraq on the 10th of Moharram on the year 61 AH (October 10, 680 AD). The day is commemoration as religious day by the Muslim.

Ashura celebrated as religious festival nationwide.

2.2 Procession of the holy blood:

The procession of the holy blood (origin) is preservation of the Jesus Christ’s blood when he crucified. Historical tradition says after the descent from the Crucified, some of his very blood preserved by Joseph of Arimathea. A coagulated relic said each year in this day the centerpiece is the Blood of Christ became fluid. In Bruges the Procession of the Holy Blood takes place on Ascension Day every year. (History 2010)

Since from 12th century, the people and associations of the city of Bruges respect and pay homage to the Holy-Blood.

Celebration:

3.1 Ashura:

Ashura is a nationwide celebrated festival for the Muslim ummah. It’s a religious festival too. All the Muslims celebrate this festival on Arabic month 10th of Moharram. Different Muslims remember and celebrate the day in different way.

3.2 How shi’as celebrate: The shi’as congregate together and ceremonial chest beating in public places as they display their dedication to Imam Husayn’s (Ra) suffering on that day. Shi’a Muslims observe the day in mourning for Hussein and in remembrance of his martyrdom. On this day some Shia Muslims beat and flog themselves in parades, to express their misery and to redo the pain that Hussein suffered.

3.3 How Sunni’s celebrate:

Some other Muslims pay tribute to the Imam Husayn (Ra) by holding Majlis. Reciting the Holy Quran and Maqtal al Husayn are read. In the holy day every year of that day prophet and their followers fasted as respect. As the Prophet (Pbuh) was saying “if I reach next year I am going to fast on that day 9th” (e-books- Prophet in the Quran, Shahi Muslim-1134) and its mandatory for fasting two days followed by the Ashura’s day or next day of ashura.

In Turkey there is a custom of eating Noah’s pudding called ‘Ashure’ and serve to the neighbors. (Noah’s pudding)

3.4 Procession of the Holy Blood: In Burges of Belgium (where the Holy Blood remain nowadays) the colorful Procession of the Holy Blood is held on Ascension Day in the spring. The bishop of Bruges carries the relic through the streets, accompanied by costumed residents acting out biblical scenes. (Festival and events)

3.5 Burges day: Thousand of people participated in the show and sixty to thousand spectators watch the procession, which is also known as “Burgges Schoonste Dag” (the most beautiful day in Burges). The event resembles as spiritual aspect, as many bishops, priests and nuns from all over the world come to celebrate. As the Holy Blood passes by everyone became still and silent in admiration. (Burges day 2010)

In 1291 the traditional of the procession recorded first time and it’s followed a route around the city walls until 1578.The route is still followed today

Significant

4.1 Ashura:

The day of ashura is not only significant for the Imam Husayn (r) but also for many reasons for the Muslims. Like this is the day when Allah accepted the regret of Adam (a) after his exile form heaven,

4.2 some significant events:

Noah (a) and Yunus (a) are saved from danger, even that day Moses was talk to Allah and given commandments and Jesus was raised to Heaven. So, on that prospectus Ashura remembered as gratitude to the Almighty Allah by fasting on the 9th and 10th of Moharram by many Muslim.

[Moreover on the 10th day of Moharram in an event Imam Husayn bin Ali, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (Sm) was brutally killed by the Yazid in the battle field of Karbala in the year 680 A.D.]

4.3 Shi’as believes:

The shi’as believes that the Battle of Karbala fought between the Good and Evil where Imam Husayn (r) represents good on the other hand Yazid represents evil. They do not take the day as joy rather than as mourn. Some shi’as hurt them by a chain including blade to show solidarity with Husayn (r) and his family. (significance)

4.4 The procession of Holy Blood:

The procession of the Holy Blood tries to answer the questions every man has on the meaning of his own life and on the existence of the world. Everyone have whishes to be deeply happy.

That happiness has different names, according to the cultural background, called by some ‘Nirvana’, by others ‘Heaven’, or, in the biblical tradition: ‘the Kingdom of God’, ‘Sion’ or ‘the new Jerusalem’.(significance of the holy blood)

Summary :

Comparison and contrast between Ashura and Procession of holy blood:

‘Ashura’ and ‘Procession of Holy Blood’ both are a holy festival, which are celebrated every year in a particular day by their followers. These festivals resemble as a mourning day and on that particular day they are assemble and remember their holy activities. On both of them Ashura is older than procession of the holy blood by dated.

Above the celebration, the festivals are celebrated in different way but the point that each of the festivals similar is, it’s a mourning festival to celebrate.

Shi’as are remember the day by Husayn’s brutal killed against the Evil called Yazid and the Sunnis remember the day for many remarkable issues. On the other hand the Christian’s are celebrated the procession of holy blood by presents of many bishops carried way the holy blood of Jesus Christ. From the religious prospectus of the two festivals are carry significantly importance. Muslims remembered the day for many significant events as well as the Christians for Jesus Christ crucified

Conclusion:

A festival has carries a nation’s existence. Ashura is a religious festival celebrates by the Muslim and Procession of holy blood celebrates by the Christian also a religious festival too. Turkey and Belgium have been celebrating those festivals by own respect, belief, values and colors. But in one aspect these festivals make people close to each other.

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